The diffuse nebula NGC 1491 in Perseus. This object is not especially difficult and is an interesting sight in modest amateur telescopes. POSS/DSS photo.

Lying just over a degree from Lambda Persei, this bright nebula is an interesting object in eight-inch and larger telescopes.

The nebula appears more or less fan-shaped with brighter tendrils along the edges of the fan. At the apex is a bright, roundish blob of nebulosity. In smaller telescopes, only the brighter parts of the nebula are visible; the overall size of the object is five arc-minutes in an eight-inch scope.

How to get there:

NGC 1491 lies 1.1° northwest of Lambda Persei.

Finder chart for NGC 1491